englandsword

Michelle Reese has been appointed as senior deputy director of the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. This appointment becomes effective December 1, 2013. Her responsibilities will center on leading the division’s acute, community and EMTS programs as well as supporting the overall activities of the division. Michelle has been serving as interim deputy division director since May 2013. Since joining the department in 2005, Michelle has served as a policy analyst, the EMTS operations program manager, and the EMTS deputy section chief and the section chief. Prior to joining the department, Michelle spent four years representing state agencies in healthcare matters as an assistant attorney general at the Colorado Office of the Attorney General. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from the University of Colorado....

Please see a memorandum addressing the application of the definition of Palliative Care Services within the hospice license regulations. If you have questions, please contact Judy Hughes, Section Chief for Acute and Community Programs @ 303-692-2908 or email judy.hughes@state.co.us

The IDR Committee meeting scheduled for 1:30 pm on Tuesday, November 4, 2013 has been cancelled. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 1:30 pm. If you have any questions, please contact Elaine Sabyan at Elaine.Sabyan@state.co.us or 303-692-2819.

This message is being sent on behalf of the Disease Control and Environmental Epidemiology Division at CDPHE. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is now an official partner of the One & Only Campaign , a public heath campaign led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Safe Injection Practices Coalition (SIPC) to raise awareness among patients and healthcare providers about safe injection practices. The campaign aims to eradicate outbreaks resulting from unsafe injection practices. CDPHE, CDC and SIPC urge all healthcare providers to know the difference between single-dose and multiple-dose vials. The One & Only Campaign recently launched an interactive infographic that walks healthcare providers through the safe use of vials from various perspectives - providers, office managers, and patients - and concludes with a quick quiz to test your knowledge of medication vials. The infographic is available in two format...

The Culture Change Accountability Board has announced that they are accepting applications for the 2014-2015 Grant Cycle. Attached is the informational packet including: 1. Grant Announcement and Criteria 2. Grant Application 3. Accountability Board Checklist 4. Deliverables for Application 5. CCAB Monthly Progress Report 6. Quarterly Report Form For more information, please contact Jo Tansey, Long Term Care Program Supervisor at Jo.Tansey@state.co.us or 303-692-2863. Culture Change Accountability Grants Packet

To improve the customer experience we recently made some changes to the online license application process. This change allows for the non-profit ownership type to be selected in the application building survey. There was an unexpected consequence of this update. All applications that had been started but not submitted as of 6:30 am on Tuesday 10/22/13 will need to complete the application building survey again. If you had submitted your application prior to 6:30 am yesterday you are unaffected. If you have not yet started your application you also are unaffected. We apologize for the inconvenience and will work to make any service improvements more seamless in the future. Thank you and have a great day. Noah Begley IT Liaison & Technical Training Program Coordinator Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

D. Randy Kuykendall has been selected by Joni Reynolds as the Director of the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Randy served as Interim Director leading up to the selection. This appointment reflects the Department's commitment to further enhance the important work conducted by the Division. Randy brings with him a wealth of expertise in management and health care, both as a leader and a technical expert. He has more than 35 years experience in emergency medical and trauma services system development and health care design and administration. Randy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Development and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies/Adult Learning from Regis University. Since coming to the Division in 2004, Randy has served as Chief of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services Section, Deputy Director of the Division and Interim Director. His leadership background includes having s...

The Culture Change Accountability Board has announced that they are accepting applications for the 2014-2015 Grant Cycle. Attached is the informational packet including: 1. Grant Announcement and Criteria 2. Grant Application 3. Accountability Board Checklist 4. Deliverables for Application 5. CCAB Monthly Progress Report 6. Quarterly Report Form For more information, please contact Jo Tansey, Long Term Care Program Supervisor at Jo.Tansey@state.co.us or 303-692-2863. Culture Change Accountability Grants Packet

We are attaching a recent health alert sent out to local public health agencies from the Department. There is a nationwide shortage of the Tuberculin(TB) Skin Test Antigen "Tubersol". There are also regional shortages of the TB Skin Test Antigen "Aplisol". Some providers have identified the issue and have requested clarification in regard to new employee testing. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is recommending the following: 1. Substitute the TB skin test with a blood test called "IGRA". This would require a blood draw and the test sent to a laboratory for analysis. The cost is greater than a TB skin test. 2. Substitute Aplisol for Tubersol where available to conduct TB skin testing. 3. Prioritization of need. The deferment of routine skin testing (new employee) should be considered in consultation with local public health authorities. In light of the recommendations of the CDC, the Department recommends you seek guidance from your local ...

In light of the recent flooding, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is actively monitoring the effects of flooding on the health and safety of residents/patients/clients. If your facility has been impacted by flooding, is in a potential evacuation area or has been asked to evacuate due to flood danger, please complete the attached form and send it to us . We are particularly interested in situations where transportation may be necessary to transfer people to a safe place or where appropriate alternative housing has not been found. The Department may be contacted as follows: Email: Health.Facilities@state.co.us (Please put Flood/Evacuation Information in the subject line.) Fax: 303-753-6214, (Please put Flood/Evacuation Information in the subject line.) Phone: 303-692-2836 Sincerely, Randy Kuykendall Interim Division Director, Health Facilities & Emergency Medical Services Division

In light of recent legislative changes and initiatives, the Department has reviewed its processes and requirements concerning reporting of neglect as an occurrence. This guidance is attached and has also been posted to the Health Facilities Occurrence Website under the "Occurrence Reporting Manual, Example Sets, and Updates" tab. If you have any questions you may contact Lesa Boom, Program Supervisor at 303.692.2895 or Sue Neff, Occurrence Intake Coordinator at 303.692.2826.

House Bill 12-1294 established a stakeholder forum as an opportunity for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to hear the issues of concern that affect licensed health care facilities and consumers.  The next stakeholder forum will be held on Wednesday, August 28, 2013 at 2:00-3:30 pm at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in the Sabin-Cleere Room. Agenda topics for the August meeting include: -Performance Incentives -Deeming -Flu Vaccinations Report If you would like to be added to the distribution list for these meetings, please sign up at the following  website . Please click on "Stakeholder Forum", and then click on "Sign Up For the Stakeholder Forum Mailing List". For more information about HB 12-1294, please see the Health Facilities website at  http://www.healthfacilities.info .  If you have any questions, please contact Gillian Franklin at  gillian.franklin@state.co.us .

DRINKING WATER WARNING Tests Show Coliform and E. coli Bacteria in the Water for  City of Brighton  PWSID CO0101025 BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING Hiervan el Agua Antes de Usarla Total coliform and E. coli bacteria were found in the water supply during testing on July 1 and July 2. These bacteria can make you sick, and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems. What does this mean? What should I do? DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for three (3) minutes, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice . Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.  E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, ...

It is my pleasure to announce that effective Monday, May 13, 2013, I accepted appointment to the position interim director of the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division, which is responsible for the state licensure and Medicare/Medicaid certification of Colorado's health care facilities and services and oversight of Colorado’s EMS and trauma system. I will function in this new role until a permanent division director is appointed. It is my honor to serve, and I look forward to leading efforts that continue contributing to the safety of the consumer and supporting statewide access to healthcare in Colorado. Many of you know me, as I joined the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in 2004 as chief of the Emergency Medical and Trauma Services Section after nearly 30 years as a practicing paramedic and college educator. I was appointed deputy director of the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division in 2011, and I bring more than 38 ye...

1. Due to bad weather, the two free Loveland half-day dementia trainings have been rescheduled for June 5 . The AM session is Sexuality & Intimacy in Residents with Dementia, and the PM session is Reducing Dementia-Related Behaviors: Non-Pharmacologic Approaches. Your trainer is Amelia Schafer, Director of Professional Education for the Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter. We encourage you to take advantage of this OPPORTUNITY to provide this high quality training for your staff. But, don’t take our word for it. Contact any assisted living provider who attended the Denver, Pueblo or Grand Junction sessions and they will tell you that that these trainings were an excellent use of staff time. Click here to register. (Note: the registration page still lists the class date as April 16, however, your confirmation will list the new date as June 5.) 2. An ALR Person-Centered Care Training will be offered this Fall, and will be announced via web portal. 3. You are invited...

House Bill 09-1196 (C.R.S. 25-1-107.5) created the Colorado Nursing Facility Culture Change Accountability Board which along with the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) annually grants funding to projects that improve the quality of life for residents in Colorado nursing facilities.  For more information, please click here . 

Find out about proposed rules and how you can provide comments on our website by going to www.healthfacilities.info ˃ Regulations ˃ Proposed Regulations.